The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK is introducing a medical drone service in central London to quickly deliver urgent blood samples between Guy’s Hospital and St Thomas’ Hospital.
This initiative is a partnership between the NHS, Wing, and Apian, a healthcare logistics startup established by former NHS doctors.
The primary goal of the service is to dramatically cut down the time it takes to transport critical blood samples, offering improved care for patients who are at high risk of complications from bleeding disorders during surgical procedures.
The drones, provided by Wing, can travel at speeds close to 100 km/h, allowing them to complete the journey between the two hospital rooftops in less than two minutes. Currently, couriers using vans and motorbikes take over 30 minutes to cover the same route.
Image source: Wing